Megster

Good take, didn't realize the discrepancy in average TPE and since we don't use endurance this could be really good for us. (Oslo that is)

@Megster

I would like to do a player profile every week for a VHLM player.  Talk about how they are playing and maybe a little bit of background on the player.  Would try to only do it for members eligible for the coming draft and also would try to give good looking first gens priority.

Robbie Zimmers issued a press release after his client Ko Kane was released by the Oslo Storm “We had no idea he was drafted. We just assumed that no one would touch him because he would not be happy in the VHLM. He would make the whole league a toxic experience. That’s not a threat. It’s just pointing out the truth. I mean who would want to be on the same team as a player who is saying “fuck this” and how he did not want to play for the team and in the league? That wouldn’t be fun. So I when I awoke the next morning I checked my messages and I got one from two GM’s. One asking if he would play for them and the next was from Megster. She asked if he would just put it all aside and play. I told her to release Ko Kane and she did. So I do thank her for being classy about it and listening to the players demand”
 
For Ko Kane

Oslo Storm Draft Review
 
The Oslo Storm entered into the draft last night without a first round pick, a result of the team selling the farm to go all in last season only to lose in the semi-finals.  After the retirement of VHLM Forever, the aging out of Our Lady of Perpetual Motion, and the inevitable forced call ups of Jack Shephard and Aackckqz Ky it seemed that the Oslo Storm would be in for a long term rebuild.  After struggling for several hours to acquire more picks in the draft to speed up the rebuild and having every trade fall through general manager Megster decided to stay put and do her best at drafting.  How did she do?  In her own words:
 
“It didn’t quite go how I wanted it to.  I missed out on a lot of good players, but I got a lot of good ones at the same time.  I guess in the end what I wanted was to get more lower round draft picks to foster some of these first generation talents, but it just didn’t work out because I didn’t have much bargaining power.  I am happy but disappointed, I wanted more players on my roster, but I guess that’s just how the cookie crumbles.  We got a lot of great guys though, some very veteran members and some new ones as well.  I just hope we have an active locker room this season, I will be very happy.”
 
So let’s take a look at the draft picks from this draft and see who ended up getting selected to represent the Oslo Storm.
 
8th Overall – Boner
Position: Defense
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 lbs
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Practice Hours: 144
 
Boner is going to be a good, strong, stay at home, hit ‘em hard defenseman.  His top attribute is his checking with an 81 rating.  He also has great defense and strength with a 70 and 75 rating in each respectively.  Boner is also an expert skater which is important for a defenseman even at the VHLM level.  Boner had 0 goals and 6 assists in 8 games at the World Junior Championships.  He managed a +5 and had an astounding 34 hits, as well as 13 blocked shots leading the gold medal winning team Europe in both categories.  Boner is expected to be one of the best defensemen in the VHLM this season, and you better keep your head up when he is on the ice.
 
13th Overall – Sadio Salah
Position: Right Wing
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs
Birthplace: USA
Practice Hours: 66
 
Sadio Salah was selected in the 3rd round.  His player agent is well known for producing some high quality players dating all the way back to S17.  Salah looks like he is going to be your stereotypical true blue sniper.  His skating and scoring both have ratings of 70 points and his puck handling has a rating of 46.  All the essentials you need to become a great goal scorer in the league.  Salah had 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points in the World Junior Championships with the bronze medal winning USA.  His hits and shot blocks are also nothing to write home about but Salah did play only 74 minutes in the whole tournament.  With 3rd line minutes and no special teams time it’s not surprising that Salah lacked production.  Overall Salah is expected to form into a nice sniper in the VHLM.
 
18th Overall – Michael Roy
Position: G
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185 LBS
Birthplace: Quebec City, Canada
Practice Hours: 80
 
Michael Roy fell into Megster’s lap at 18 overall in the 4th round.  The Storm, just like almost every other team in the VHLM this season were in need of a goalie.  Somehow the 4th best goalie in the league made it to the 4th round.  Roy plays much like a Tim Thomas, big in his net and very flexible.  Size and agility are Roy’s 2 biggest strengths with both attributes getting a 70 rating.  Roy has also been seen lately working on his rebound control and the attribute has received a 45 rating.  With team Canada’s goalies being so stacked Roy did not see any playing time in the World Junior Championship and one might speculate this is why he slid so far in the draft.  Overall Roy is expected to be a solid starting goalie for the Storm.
 
23rd Overall – Jabby McFullO’Schmidt
Position: Defense
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 240 lbs
Birthplace: Nova Scotia, Canada
Practice Hours: 59
 
Jabby McFullO’Schmidt was drafted in the 5th round, 23rd overall.  Some might say Megster took the enforcer a little high, but every team needs someone to protect it.  Jabby has put the majority of his practice hours into fighting with a 70 rating.  You can often catch him practice fighting with one of his team mates after everyone has skated off the ice.  Recently though, Jabby has started putting some practice hours into checking and defense with a 50 and 59 rating respectively.  With team Canada at the World Junior Championships Jabby had 1 goal and 1 assists for 2 points as well as a +1.  He also managed 18 hits and 11 shot blocks.  It was a very solid tournament for Jabby.  Overall expect Jabby to slot in on the 2nd pairing at the beginning of the season and maybe move up to play with Boner if he continues to improve by the end of it.
 
28th Overall – Ben Green
Position: Left Wing
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190 lbs
Birthplace: Raleigh, NC USA
Practice Hours: 52
 
Ben Green was drafted in the 6th round at 28th overall.  Green had the most practice hours by far of anyone drafted in the 6th round.  However, he has not practiced in a few days and many are beginning to wonder when, and if he will practice again.  Regardless of whether or not he does practice again, Green has already started to become an all around offensive player.  His most attractive attribute is scoring, with a strong 65 rating.  His passing and skating are also very impressive with a 50 and 52 rating respectively.  Green also has put some practice time into his puck handling and has seen that rating rise to a 45.  Ben Green had a very poor World Junior Championships with team USA.  He scored 0 points and was a -4 with 1 hit and no shot blocks.  He only played 45 minutes but with a stat line like that it’s not very surprising why.  Overall Green is still likely to play the top line left wing spot as no one on the roster could fill that position well besides him.
 
33rd Overall – Franky Kalashnikova
Position: Defense
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 250 LBS
Birthplace: Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia
Practice Hours: 31
 
Franky Kalashnikova was drafted in the 7th round at 33rd overall.  It looks like Oslo is going to be fighting a lot, because Franky has put all of his practice hours into fighting.  Being one huge man, it’s not surprising that Franky isn’t afraid to drop the gloves.  What is surprising is the fact that, that is all that he can do.  Franky had a surprisingly strong World Junior Championships, but not for the reasons you may think.  Franky had 0 goals and 3 assists for 3 points and was a +4.  He also had 14 hits and 9 blocked shots.  Overall, Franky is expected to slot in on the 3rd pairing and clean up some scrums when needed.  Think of him as a John Erskine type of player.
 
38th Overall – Ko Kane
Position: Defense
Height: 6’7.2”
Weight: 255 LBS
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Practice Hour: 105
 
In the 8th round with 38th overall pick, Megster made a shocking choice.  Clearly it has already back fired as Ko Kane has already asked to be released and was subsequently released by the club.  Megster had this to say on the release of Ko Kane:
 
“It happens, you can’t always get a 105 TPE superstar in the 8th round so I had to try, right?  I was going to pass from that point on anyways.”

Oslo Storm Draft Review
 
The Oslo Storm entered into the draft last night without a first round pick, a result of the team selling the farm to go all in last season only to lose in the semi-finals.  After the retirement of VHLM Forever, the aging out of Our Lady of Perpetual Motion, and the inevitable forced call ups of Jack Shephard and Aackckqz Ky it seemed that the Oslo Storm would be in for a long term rebuild.  After struggling for several hours to acquire more picks in the draft to speed up the rebuild and having every trade fall through general manager Megster decided to stay put and do her best at drafting.  How did she do?  In her own words:
 
“It didn’t quite go how I wanted it to.  I missed out on a lot of good players, but I got a lot of good ones at the same time.  I guess in the end what I wanted was to get more lower round draft picks to foster some of these first generation talents, but it just didn’t work out because I didn’t have much bargaining power.  I am happy but disappointed, I wanted more players on my roster, but I guess that’s just how the cookie crumbles.  We got a lot of great guys though, some very veteran members and some new ones as well.  I just hope we have an active locker room this season, I will be very happy.”
 
So let’s take a look at the draft picks from this draft and see who ended up getting selected to represent the Oslo Storm.
 
8th Overall – Boner
Position: Defense
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 lbs
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Practice Hours: 144
 
Boner is going to be a good, strong, stay at home, hit ‘em hard defenseman.  His top attribute is his checking with an 81 rating.  He also has great defense and strength with a 70 and 75 rating in each respectively.  Boner is also an expert skater which is important for a defenseman even at the VHLM level.  Boner had 0 goals and 6 assists in 8 games at the World Junior Championships.  He managed a +5 and had an astounding 34 hits, as well as 13 blocked shots leading the gold medal winning team Europe in both categories.  Boner is expected to be one of the best defensemen in the VHLM this season, and you better keep your head up when he is on the ice.
 
13th Overall – Sadio Salah
Position: Right Wing
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs
Birthplace: USA
Practice Hours: 66
 
Sadio Salah was selected in the 3rd round.  His player agent is well known for producing some high quality players dating all the way back to S17.  Salah looks like he is going to be your stereotypical true blue sniper.  His skating and scoring both have ratings of 70 points and his puck handling has a rating of 46.  All the essentials you need to become a great goal scorer in the league.  Salah had 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points in the World Junior Championships with the bronze medal winning USA.  His hits and shot blocks are also nothing to write home about but Salah did play only 74 minutes in the whole tournament.  With 3rd line minutes and no special teams time it’s not surprising that Salah lacked production.  Overall Salah is expected to form into a nice sniper in the VHLM.
 
18th Overall – Michael Roy
Position: G
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185 LBS
Birthplace: Quebec City, Canada
Practice Hours: 80
 
Michael Roy fell into Megster’s lap at 18 overall in the 4th round.  The Storm, just like almost every other team in the VHLM this season were in need of a goalie.  Somehow the 4th best goalie in the league made it to the 4th round.  Roy plays much like a Tim Thomas, big in his net and very flexible.  Size and agility are Roy’s 2 biggest strengths with both attributes getting a 70 rating.  Roy has also been seen lately working on his rebound control and the attribute has received a 45 rating.  With team Canada’s goalies being so stacked Roy did not see any playing time in the World Junior Championship and one might speculate this is why he slid so far in the draft.  Overall Roy is expected to be a solid starting goalie for the Storm.
 
23rd Overall – Jabby McFullO’Schmidt
Position: Defense
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 240 lbs
Birthplace: Nova Scotia, Canada
Practice Hours: 59
 
Jabby McFullO’Schmidt was drafted in the 5th round, 23rd overall.  Some might say Megster took the enforcer a little high, but every team needs someone to protect it.  Jabby has put the majority of his practice hours into fighting with a 70 rating.  You can often catch him practice fighting with one of his team mates after everyone has skated off the ice.  Recently though, Jabby has started putting some practice hours into checking and defense with a 50 and 59 rating respectively.  With team Canada at the World Junior Championships Jabby had 1 goal and 1 assists for 2 points as well as a +1.  He also managed 18 hits and 11 shot blocks.  It was a very solid tournament for Jabby.  Overall expect Jabby to slot in on the 2nd pairing at the beginning of the season and maybe move up to play with Boner if he continues to improve by the end of it.
 
28th Overall – Ben Green
Position: Left Wing
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190 lbs
Birthplace: Raleigh, NC USA
Practice Hours: 52
 
Ben Green was drafted in the 6th round at 28th overall.  Green had the most practice hours by far of anyone drafted in the 6th round.  However, he has not practiced in a few days and many are beginning to wonder when, and if he will practice again.  Regardless of whether or not he does practice again, Green has already started to become an all around offensive player.  His most attractive attribute is scoring, with a strong 65 rating.  His passing and skating are also very impressive with a 50 and 52 rating respectively.  Green also has put some practice time into his puck handling and has seen that rating rise to a 45.  Ben Green had a very poor World Junior Championships with team USA.  He scored 0 points and was a -4 with 1 hit and no shot blocks.  He only played 45 minutes but with a stat line like that it’s not very surprising why.  Overall Green is still likely to play the top line left wing spot as no one on the roster could fill that position well besides him.
 
33rd Overall – Franky Kalashnikova
Position: Defense
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 250 LBS
Birthplace: Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia
Practice Hours: 31
 
Franky Kalashnikova was drafted in the 7th round at 33rd overall.  It looks like Oslo is going to be fighting a lot, because Franky has put all of his practice hours into fighting.  Being one huge man, it’s not surprising that Franky isn’t afraid to drop the gloves.  What is surprising is the fact that, that is all that he can do.  Franky had a surprisingly strong World Junior Championships, but not for the reasons you may think.  Franky had 0 goals and 3 assists for 3 points and was a +4.  He also had 14 hits and 9 blocked shots.  Overall, Franky is expected to slot in on the 3rd pairing and clean up some scrums when needed.  Think of him as a John Erskine type of player.
 
38th Overall – Ko Kane
Position: Defense
Height: 6’7.2”
Weight: 255 LBS
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Practice Hour: 105
 
In the 8th round with 38th overall pick, Megster made a shocking choice.  Clearly it has already back fired as Ko Kane has already asked to be released and was subsequently released by the club.  Megster had this to say on the release of Ko Kane:
 
“It happens, you can’t always get a 105 TPE superstar in the 8th round so I had to try, right?  I was going to pass from that point on anyways.”

Oslo Storm Draft Review
 
The Oslo Storm entered into the draft last night without a first round pick, a result of the team selling the farm to go all in last season only to lose in the semi-finals.  After the retirement of VHLM Forever, the aging out of Our Lady of Perpetual Motion, and the inevitable forced call ups of Jack Shephard and Aackckqz Ky it seemed that the Oslo Storm would be in for a long term rebuild.  After struggling for several hours to acquire more picks in the draft to speed up the rebuild and having every trade fall through general manager Megster decided to stay put and do her best at drafting.  How did she do?  In her own words:
 
“It didn’t quite go how I wanted it to.  I missed out on a lot of good players, but I got a lot of good ones at the same time.  I guess in the end what I wanted was to get more lower round draft picks to foster some of these first generation talents, but it just didn’t work out because I didn’t have much bargaining power.  I am happy but disappointed, I wanted more players on my roster, but I guess that’s just how the cookie crumbles.  We got a lot of great guys though, some very veteran members and some new ones as well.  I just hope we have an active locker room this season, I will be very happy.”
 
So let’s take a look at the draft picks from this draft and see who ended up getting selected to represent the Oslo Storm.
 
8th Overall – Boner
Position: Defense
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 lbs
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Practice Hours: 144
 
Boner is going to be a good, strong, stay at home, hit ‘em hard defenseman.  His top attribute is his checking with an 81 rating.  He also has great defense and strength with a 70 and 75 rating in each respectively.  Boner is also an expert skater which is important for a defenseman even at the VHLM level.  Boner had 0 goals and 6 assists in 8 games at the World Junior Championships.  He managed a +5 and had an astounding 34 hits, as well as 13 blocked shots leading the gold medal winning team Europe in both categories.  Boner is expected to be one of the best defensemen in the VHLM this season, and you better keep your head up when he is on the ice.
 
13th Overall – Sadio Salah
Position: Right Wing
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs
Birthplace: USA
Practice Hours: 66
 
Sadio Salah was selected in the 3rd round.  His player agent is well known for producing some high quality players dating all the way back to S17.  Salah looks like he is going to be your stereotypical true blue sniper.  His skating and scoring both have ratings of 70 points and his puck handling has a rating of 46.  All the essentials you need to become a great goal scorer in the league.  Salah had 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points in the World Junior Championships with the bronze medal winning USA.  His hits and shot blocks are also nothing to write home about but Salah did play only 74 minutes in the whole tournament.  With 3rd line minutes and no special teams time it’s not surprising that Salah lacked production.  Overall Salah is expected to form into a nice sniper in the VHLM.
 
18th Overall – Michael Roy
Position: G
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185 LBS
Birthplace: Quebec City, Canada
Practice Hours: 80
 
Michael Roy fell into Megster’s lap at 18 overall in the 4th round.  The Storm, just like almost every other team in the VHLM this season were in need of a goalie.  Somehow the 4th best goalie in the league made it to the 4th round.  Roy plays much like a Tim Thomas, big in his net and very flexible.  Size and agility are Roy’s 2 biggest strengths with both attributes getting a 70 rating.  Roy has also been seen lately working on his rebound control and the attribute has received a 45 rating.  With team Canada’s goalies being so stacked Roy did not see any playing time in the World Junior Championship and one might speculate this is why he slid so far in the draft.  Overall Roy is expected to be a solid starting goalie for the Storm.
 
23rd Overall – Jabby McFullO’Schmidt
Position: Defense
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 240 lbs
Birthplace: Nova Scotia, Canada
Practice Hours: 59
 
Jabby McFullO’Schmidt was drafted in the 5th round, 23rd overall.  Some might say Megster took the enforcer a little high, but every team needs someone to protect it.  Jabby has put the majority of his practice hours into fighting with a 70 rating.  You can often catch him practice fighting with one of his team mates after everyone has skated off the ice.  Recently though, Jabby has started putting some practice hours into checking and defense with a 50 and 59 rating respectively.  With team Canada at the World Junior Championships Jabby had 1 goal and 1 assists for 2 points as well as a +1.  He also managed 18 hits and 11 shot blocks.  It was a very solid tournament for Jabby.  Overall expect Jabby to slot in on the 2nd pairing at the beginning of the season and maybe move up to play with Boner if he continues to improve by the end of it.
 
28th Overall – Ben Green
Position: Left Wing
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190 lbs
Birthplace: Raleigh, NC USA
Practice Hours: 52
 
Ben Green was drafted in the 6th round at 28th overall.  Green had the most practice hours by far of anyone drafted in the 6th round.  However, he has not practiced in a few days and many are beginning to wonder when, and if he will practice again.  Regardless of whether or not he does practice again, Green has already started to become an all around offensive player.  His most attractive attribute is scoring, with a strong 65 rating.  His passing and skating are also very impressive with a 50 and 52 rating respectively.  Green also has put some practice time into his puck handling and has seen that rating rise to a 45.  Ben Green had a very poor World Junior Championships with team USA.  He scored 0 points and was a -4 with 1 hit and no shot blocks.  He only played 45 minutes but with a stat line like that it’s not very surprising why.  Overall Green is still likely to play the top line left wing spot as no one on the roster could fill that position well besides him.
 
33rd Overall – Franky Kalashnikova
Position: Defense
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 250 LBS
Birthplace: Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia
Practice Hours: 31
 
Franky Kalashnikova was drafted in the 7th round at 33rd overall.  It looks like Oslo is going to be fighting a lot, because Franky has put all of his practice hours into fighting.  Being one huge man, it’s not surprising that Franky isn’t afraid to drop the gloves.  What is surprising is the fact that, that is all that he can do.  Franky had a surprisingly strong World Junior Championships, but not for the reasons you may think.  Franky had 0 goals and 3 assists for 3 points and was a +4.  He also had 14 hits and 9 blocked shots.  Overall, Franky is expected to slot in on the 3rd pairing and clean up some scrums when needed.  Think of him as a John Erskine type of player.
 
38th Overall – Ko Kane
Position: Defense
Height: 6’7.2”
Weight: 255 LBS
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Practice Hour: 105
 
In the 8th round with 38th overall pick, Megster made a shocking choice.  Clearly it has already back fired as Ko Kane has already asked to be released and was subsequently released by the club.  Megster had this to say on the release of Ko Kane:
 
“It happens, you can’t always get a 105 TPE superstar in the 8th round so I had to try, right?  I was going to pass from that point on anyways.”

Ha that is what my past players looks like too

Sometimes things work out and other times robbie is set on his gimmicks.  It doesn't matter because I was skipping from that point on anyways and thought I would see if we could have another championship run like when Vasquez won the Esposito in S22, but hey if this is the way he wants it, he gets it.

Sometimes things work out and other times robbie is set on his gimmicks.  It doesn't matter because I was skipping from that point on anyways and thought I would see if we could have another championship run like when Vasquez won the Esposito in S22, but hey if this is the way he wants it, he gets it.

Sometimes things work out and other times robbie is set on his gimmicks.  It doesn't matter because I was skipping from that point on anyways and thought I would see if we could have another championship run like when Vasquez won the Esposito in S22, but hey if this is the way he wants it, he gets it.

Thanks

So I know some people from SHL came off a hockey fan fiction forum (it was described to me, not sure the link though) and that is very much somewhere we could have success from.  And I'm down for more steamy hockey stories coming out the MS sections lmao

Sometimes things work out and other times robbie is set on his gimmicks.  It doesn't matter because I was skipping from that point on anyways and thought I would see if we could have another championship run like when Vasquez won the Esposito in S22, but hey if this is the way he wants it, he gets it.

Ottawa Lynx proudly picks Oskar Ingolfsson, TPE: 51 @Megster (sorry Meg)

With the 8th overall pick the Oslo Storm proudl select elite defenseman Boner!!! @Corco

VHLM DRAFT STARTING NOW!!!!!!

Thanks Tagger/Yeah! I gets so mixed up with these new usernames everyone has

Smarch, the lawful good commish we all needed

VHLM draft is slated for this Friday @ 8:30PM EST!!

According to a press release from brand new VHLM Commissioner Corco, Megster is once again back at it with the VHLM.  According to sources once she returned to the league as a manager for rookie thug Oskar Ingolfsson, she immediately went back on the hunt for another VHLM GM job!  To recap Megster led the now defunct Brampton Battalion to the Founder’s Cup in S22 and won the GM of the year award that season as well.  Shortly after she was removed from her position as a GM and was left without a spot for several seasons until, in S33 when she took over for the Minot Gladiators (also defunct) for 2 seasons.  After that megster took a 3 year break from managing players and teams all together but now she is back and better than ever to manage the Oslo Storm.  And in case you missed it when Oskar Ingolfsson ranked his top teams to go to Oslo was number one!  Will Megster take her own player in the draft?  Or will he slip out of her grasps?  Only time will tell, tune in next week to find out!

Ugh we need to be better against USA G

Oskar Ingolfsson had this to say about his role on Team Europe:
 
“I am super excited to get an opportunity to play on this team.  Right now I am playing 3rd line center, which is not my standard position at right wing, but it’s still an exciting new opportunity I am relishing.  So far I have been playing within my own game well and delivering when I need to.  In the first game against Team World I was a -1 but I did have 1 hit, and for having no skills in faceoffs I still managed to win 4/10 faceoffs.  In the second game I began to get my feet underneath of me more and I managed 3 hits with 2 PIMS and 7 out of 15 draws.  I would like to see my +/- get a little better, but right now I am doing exactly what I want to inside of my game with all of the physical play.”

We coming for that gold baby, I really enjoy these Corco, it gives the babies in the league something to read about themselves.  Just looking at some of the people who commented on your last post they had like 6 posts total, so new and now they are becoming engaged, it's great.

A Look at the S55 WJC Rosters

Canada's roster is loaded with talent (from left): Felix Savard, Chase Keller, Ay Ay Ron, and Xavier LaFlamme; are they the favorites to win it all?
 
Rosters/Lineups can be found HERE
 
Team Canada
Forwards: You would expect Canada to have superstar depth at all positions, however that oddly isn't the case here, with their forwards at least. The Great White North has three bona-fide dynamic offensive players in Xavier Laflamme, Chase Keller, and Corey Klopfenstein, but after that, it's really only depth players. Matt Denning, Ulyanin Namestnikov, and David Kiaskov are all promising players, but they're simply too raw right now to make a huge impact on the rink; look for them to develop into important players for this squad in the coming years though.
Defense: The Canadians have an elite top pairing in Felix Savard and Ay Ay Ron, especially considering that Savard will be well-rested after his first round elimination in the VHL playoffs for the Calgary Wranglers. The 2nd pairing of Smallwood and Bourdon should be a decent two-way duo, especially with Bourdon looking to improve his draft stock. The third pairing is composed of the pugilistic Jabby McFullO'Schmidt and promising rookie talent Keaton Louth. Louth's agency is new to the league, so playing with player's whose agencies have a long history in the league should only help his development.
Goaltending: While they may not have the most skilled and veteran goaltenders of the tournament, Canada certainly has two quality starting-goaltenders that they can count on. Shawn Brodeur, Norris Kensington, and Miguel Luc-Legrand are all young, it's their first year of eligibility in this tournament and all three have made the roster, although Kensington and Brodeur have a huge jump on Legrand talent-wise; Legrand will be sitting in the press-box hoping that one of his two superiors should falter, but that seems highly unlikely. Kensington and Brodeur will most likely split starts in the round robin, and whoever has the hot hand will start in the elimination rounds.
Overall Prediction: Silver Medalists I think the Canadians definitely have a chance to win it all, but ultimately fall short in the gold-medal game. They have pretty good depth at all positions, and a stud #1D [in Savard], which is more than you can say for some other teams in this tournament, but I think they fall victim to a robbery game against Team Europe's Key Perought.
 
 
Team USA
Forwards: The Americans arguably have the best forward group in the tournament. Their top line of McAllister-Boeser-Scheel looks to be dynamite, and fans hope that they can re-discover the chemistry that they had when they were linemates on the Saskatoon Wild in S54. The 2nd line of Gow-Quill-Process also can pack a punch in the scoring department, especially now that Quill has pro-experience after being called up to the HC Davos Dynamo for the end of the regular season and playoffs. The next line of VHLM Forever-Shepard-Salah is more of the same, as all three could be a first line on some other team in this tournament. The 4th line of Green-Szatkowski III-McManahan has all the makings of a great energy line, and will look to use physicality to boost their team's morale.
Defense: The American blue-line corps definitely aren't as dynamic as their offense, but they aren't too shabby either. Lane and Kinkaid both have over 100 practice hours, and should be able to hold the fort down thanks to the team's electric offense. Casey Jones and Ko Kane anchor what looks to be a very reliable 2nd pairing, and the 3rd pairing of McKenzie and Rayne look to provide the top two pairings with some needed rest.
Goaltending: The United States has no goalies eligible for this tournament.
Overall Prediction: Bronze Medal. I think Team USA would be my pick to win the Gold Medal if they at least had a halfway-decent goaltender. They have a great group of forwards and a defense that isn't crazy good, but good enough considering how strong their offense is. I think despite this though, their lack of a goalie will be the Americans downfall.
 
 
Team Europe 
Forwards: The Europeans will be relying largely on two superstars, Rusty Trombone and Mattias Forsberg, to score goals. Aside from those two, Europe's offense doesn't look to be a big threat to opposing defenders. They have some promising players who look to be impact forwards for Team Europe in the future, like Birkir Hólm Guðnason, Ozamataz Buckshank, Jules Cedric-Labrie, and Oskar Ingolfsson, but none are at the skill level yet to do much damage.
Defense: What they lack in forwards, Team Europe makes up for with their defenders. The Europeans have what looks to be the best overall defense in the league, led by Riga Reign prospect Niko Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic is the #1D, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the defense can't step up either; his partner Aackckqz Ky has some promise as an all-around defender, and the 2nd pairing of Bonér and Aeschylus Jigglejawns CXXXVIII look to compliment each others playstyles nicely, as a shutdown defender and offensive defenseman. The third pairing features Nicodemus Raven and Mats Johnsson, who could easily be top 4 defenders on most of the other teams in the tournament. 
Goaltending: The Europeans have possibly the best [and most skilled] goalie in the tournament in Key Perought. The Swiss netminder is a veteran of these international tournaments, having already played for Team Europe at the last World Cup. He had an underwhelming performance there, but he looks primed to bounce back and be a stud in net. Backing him up is Brienne O'Tarth, a British netminder who has spent this season manning the crease for the Saskatoon Wild, and will be ready at a moment's notice to play for Perought should he falter.
Overall Prediction: Gold Medal. I think that even with their lack of scoring depth, the Europeans go home champions thanks to their stifling defense and star goalie. It looks like all Europe has to do is score a goal or two, and their defense/goaltending will take care of the rest. Perought will stand on his head in the gold medal game and leave Europe victorious.
 
 
Team Asia
Forwards: Thanks to a big influx of Asian forwards, Team Asia is able to almost have three full lines of forwards. Sergei Komarov and Rudy Ying look to lead the way for the team, as both have over 100 practice hours and can do some damage on the scoresheet. After them and their linemate Shiro though, Team Asia is seriously lacking in the scoring department.
Defense: Team Asia's best defender is already an arguable bust, and he hasn't even been drafted yet. Ho Lee Fuk comes from a very successful player agency, so to see him not be showing up to practice is quite concerning. Even if he is a bust, he's the best defender the Asians have, as his partner Igor Mjers is a promising young player, but isn't talented enough yet to be trusted with full first pairing minutes. The rest of the defense is paltry, as most are new players or likely-busts.
Goaltending: Rennie Bacani is the only registered goalie for Team Asia, and he certainly isn't someone you can even think to count on to steal games for your team. He's brand new to the VHL, so don't look for him to put up any impressive stats.
Overall Prediction: Fourth place. I think he only reason that Team Asia finishes ahead of Team World is their two offensive stars [Komarov and Ying]. Their defense and goaltending just isn't good enough to get them any medals in this tournament.
 
 
Team World
Forwards: Team World can at least say that they have a star on their roster! That star is Toronto Legion prospect and current Saskatoon Wild winger Daring Do. The bruising forward had over 200 hits this past season in the VHLM, and will look to continue that physical gamestyle in the tournament. Aside from Do though, Team World isn't bringing much to the table in terms of forwards, with Center Charles Murphy being the only other forward to have even shown up to practice.
Defense: Team World can surprisingly field a full defense, even if two-thirds of that defense is players cut from other teams. Emil Martinov and Augustus Gloop were cut from Team Europe, but that means that they get 1st-pairing duties over on Team World. Expect those two to play a hard-nosed style and attempt to shut down opposing team's forwards. On the 2nd pairing we see Darryl Took and Hodor, two players who have definitely flown under the radar, and the same can be said for the 3rd pairing of Mr. Shakedown and Klaus Baustein; both were two players who have admittedly disappointed a bit with their lack of commitment to practice.
Goaltending: The lone bright spot for Team World is their starting goaltender, Michael Roy. Roy made Team World after being cut by Team Canada, so perhaps that lights a fire under his ass to play extremely well. The rookie will need to perform out of his mind to give Team World ANY chance in this tournament.
Overall Prediction: Fifth place. Aside from Do putting the team on her back or Michael Roy playing lights-out, I don't see how Team World can finish anywhere other than the basement. They simply lack the depth at forward and defense to do any real damage here.
 
 
 
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